Desert tech carbon fiber barrel experience?

Spinalmath

Spinalmath

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Hi guys,
I have a Desert tech SRS A1 covert with a 16 inch 308 win barrel and a 338 lapua 18 inch barrel. I love this rifle and I'm actually working on my hunting load with Barnes 168 and 150 TTSX bullet. To reduce the weight of the rifle and maybe get more FPS with my load, I'm looking at ordering a carbon fiber barrel in 308 (maybe 22 inch). Do you guys have any experience with ordering these kind of barrel in Canada? I have found at least 2 sponsor sites one of which is selling desert tech carbon fiber blank barrel.

My rifle shoots great actually so I'm not in any rush and I have found so nice load with the Barnes 168 TSX ( 3 rounds in the same hole at 100y with varget 43 gr and a jump of 0,080) but my velocity is on the slow side (2510 fps).

Here are some pictures!

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Let me know your opinion!
 

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A carbon 18" 338 lapua barrel would be nice. If it cuts considerable weight from the rifle, I would buy if someone is doing a custom run

I would even consider a 16" as long as it sticks out of the handguard enough to get the 3 port A2 brake on it
 
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How is everyone dealing with the recoil? My factory 26" 338 Lapua was rough on the shoulder during the RFMA course, mind you I was firing about 100 rounds a day. Mind you I was getting hits out to 1800 metres.
 
JNA said:
How is everyone dealing with the recoil? My factory 26" 338 Lapua was rough on the shoulder during the RFMA course, mind you I was firing about 100 rounds a day. Mind you I was getting hits out to 1800 metres.
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The primary use is hunting rifle for me, I test in the field, but not a 100rnds in a sitting. With the muzzle brake, the recoil doesn't bother me, not much different than my lighter 308
 
JNA said:
How is everyone dealing with the recoil? My factory 26" 338 Lapua was rough on the shoulder during the RFMA course, mind you I was firing about 100 rounds a day. Mind you I was getting hits out to 1800 metres.
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The recoil with the 338 lapua with the 18 inches barrel isn t really bad but the muzzlebrake is doing a hell of a job! It s easier to be shooting the rifle compare to being sitting close to it. I usually shot around 50 rounds of 338 lapua and 50 rounds of 308 per shooting session without too much problem. I have clued an old “mouse pad” too make a much more comfortable cheek rest and it has been helping quite a lot!
 
Brian46 said:
The primary use is hunting rifle for me, I test in the field, but not a 100rnds in a sitting. With the muzzle brake, the recoil doesn't bother me, not much different than my lighter 308
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It looks like this with my ghetto cheek rest mod...
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Brian46 said:
The primary use is hunting rifle for me, I test in the field, but not a 100rnds in a sitting. With the muzzle brake, the recoil doesn't bother me, not much different than my lighter 308
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What have you been hunting with your 338 lapua? I hunted deers last fall at Anticosti and the result of that round on deers is quite devastating... I reloaded Berger Elite Hunter 300 gr with 86,5 gr of N570 and the velocity was 2360 FPS. My longest shot was 256 m (most of the time I was in deep wood) and the exit hole was quite big... Here are some pictures!
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Spinalmath said:
What have you been hunting with your 338 lapua? I hunted deers last fall at Anticosti and the result of that round on deers is quite devastating... I reloaded Berger Elite Hunter 300 gr with 86,5 gr of N570 and the velocity was 2360 FPS. My longest shot was 256 m (most of the time I was in deep wood) and the exit hole was quite big... Here are some pictures!
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That hole is rather large for not impacting any major structure by the looks of it, I would try a different bullet

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That blood on the neck is actually the entry wound, exit is not much larger and neck was severed by the 250gr bthp. Roughly 150yd shot through thick timber and the head was all that was snowing. The shot was head on with the bullet entering just below the skull on the white patch of fur on the top of the neck where it meets the head. Basically just under the chin
 
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Wow, that is a small exit wound! Looks like your bullet didn't expand at all. Are you using hunting bullets or more like target bullet? Here is my second deer, it was shot from the front at about 20 yards. The entry wound is in the anterior part of the neck and the exit wound is on the other side of the thorax near the midline. About 4 ribs were missing.
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Spinalmath said:
Wow, that is a small exit wound! Looks like your bullet didn't expand at all. Are you using hunting bullets or more like target bullet? Here is my second deer, it was shot from the front at about 20 yards. The entry wound is in the anterior part of the neck and the exit wound is on the other side of the thorax near the midline. About 4 ribs were missing.
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More of a target bullet, it did expand a little, just not with devastating results like you are seeing.

I have had results like yours with a 7mm mag in the past and the amount of meat loss made me try all different kinds of bullets on game over the years and at different ranges.

I even had a fist sized hole in a fox from a 243win that ruined the pelt

I hate wasting meat as a hunter, it costs a lot already per pound by the time it gets to my table.

I hunted with a 50BMG before our government decided we were no longer allowed, the Hornady Amax was my bullet of choice

I think your bullet is expanding too quickly or even fragmenting on contact. I found that many bullets I tried with the 7mm mag were actually fragmenting on impact. You start finding bigger pieces of the bullet in the animal on moose sized game, on deer, everything would blow out the other side and you could never figure it out
 
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Spinalmath said:
Thanks for your reply. That's why I'll be using 308 this year on deer with Barnes monolithic bullet.
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I have had good results with the Barnes ttsx in 308 win and 30ar. I want to get some for the 450 bushmaster now that I see a couple options in stock.

Might even try loading some for the lapua to try on larger animals if the ttsx is available.
 
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